Radio Flashback: The Big D

Back in the swingin' sixties, WDRC-FM - Hartford's Big D - was the only Connecticut FM station playing anything close to rock n' roll. Baby boomers like me grew up mostly on AM Top 40 radio, and FM was the often forgotten band. Still, there was something that stood out about WDRC AM & FM, with high profile personalties, contests that got people talking, the booming voices of the newscasters and the unique promos and jingles. It was a key station where many hits were first made. Few stations have a stronger heritage. It was all the baby of veteran program director Charlie Parker. From all accounts, WDRC staffers were as devoted to him as he was to them. I had the honor of interviewing with him in 1982, but I didn't get the job. After Charlie Parker's passing, I did find my way into WDRC-AM part-time in 1993. The FM program director, Frank Holler, soon asked me to cover some fill-in shifts. I was so excited about getting on the station I grew up with - still playing the music I grew up with - that I couldn't sleep at all the night before my first show. Six of my eight years there were on the evening shift, with three years as music director. From oldies concerts to my morning news experience, I felt my radio career could have been complete when it ended with my layoff in 2002. My expected exit from radio turned out to be premature, as new experiences followed with my involvement at WBMW. An excellent source of information on the legendary WDRC can be found here. WDRC has been around in some form since 1922, but Monday, August 17th marks WDRC's 49th anniversary playing rock n' roll as the Big D.